This invention relates to mailing machines, and is especially directed to machines adapted to receive mailpieces on which indicia is to be printed, weigh such mailpieces, print the indicia thereon, and then output the imprinted mailpieces. Mailing machines of this type also may include moistening and sealing arrangement, for moistening flaps of envelopes and sealing them, thereby to more fully automate the process of preparing mailpieces for mailing.
In the past, machines of the above type have generally processed mailing pieces in a single horizontal course, i.e., the input, output, and various processing stations are serially located at generally the same horizontal level in the mailing machine. This arrangement has been found to reduce the throughput at which mailing pieces can be processed, both as a result of input and output stacking arrangement that need be employed, as well as the requirement for slowing down the mailpieces as various processing stages, for example, during weighing. In addition, mailing machines of the above type have generally required large space, i.e., they have large "footprints".